Dubai Zahirians face tough warm-up

Dubai Zahirians will step up their preparations for the first game after seven weeks against Shiba Risers when they face a strong JBS SC side at WLP. It's a sign of the depth in Zahirians cricket that a formidable second team can be and they should give the visiters a good idea of their readiness for,

Mohammed Rasmi and Mohammed Saflin, along with the other three players who spent an extra week in Srilanka, have arrived to Dubai so the Zahirians are now at full strength. Facing the likes of Mohammed Arafath, Mohammed Rikaz and Ayyub Padladkka, who has made an impressive return to action after a career-threatening back injury's, will be a good test of adjustment for them on a WLP pitch that often offers help to the pace bowlers like Mohammed Hillal and Mohammed Roshan.

 Regardless of their form, however, Mohammed Ziyad and mohammed Fayaz will line up in the  side alongside mohammed Dasthakir, Mohammed Sadeek and Mohammed Rimaz. This match will help Mohammed Farman, DZCC's interim coach, and the selectors decide who will be the final specialist batsman - presuming that is the balance they opt for. will be given a chance to press his claim after Mohammed Ziyad did the job in the last match. Ziyad's useful batting could edge the stakes in his favour.

 The zahirians selectors will also be watching closely. There is a long season ahead and a pool of reserve talent will come in handy. At least one of will be appearing in Rasmi with a replacement needed for Mohammed Siraj at No. 1, while there is also a batting vacancy due to Mohammed Razeen's Vacation.

Will Zahirians free up or freeze up?

Match Facts

January 21, Wonderland

Start time 07:30 Local Dubai

Big Picture

The Great Wanderers Choke only highlighted the concerns that were present from the first game in last week. What if Dubai Zahirians's middle-order collapsed? Can Mohammed Rasmi and the men below him shoulder the burden?Mohammed Arafath and Mohammed Siraj ensured that situation never arose in the first game with their serene approach, change significantly once Mohammed Sanaz returns for the upcomming weeks: The lower order wouldn't remain so brittle and therefore this trial by fire is perhaps a great learning curve.If Mohammed Faris, and Mohammed Roshan, who is likely to play the next game, can get in a good knock under pressure in this week matches, it will help DZCC to build the momemtem again.

Form guide

JET 11 Cricket : WLLWW

Dubai Zahirians:  WWLWL

Players to watch out for…

Mohammed Rasmi He turned in a matured performance in the first game last week but threw his wicket away in the second game. The two games also showed that he is trying hard to correct his weakness. the habit of pressing that front leg too far across and having to play around it to the seamers - and he has two more games to get used to soaking up the pressure and leading the top order.

Team news 

Fayaz is likely to come in. Haithar's replacement Saflin is yet to open the score in wonderland, so Rasmi could open the batting with Mohammed Arafath. DZCC, if they choose to go in with four bowlers, could give Rikaz and Roshan to go with Hillal.

Dubai Zahirians (possible): 1 Dasthakir (capt), 2 Faris, 3 Rikaz, 4 Arafath, 5 Ziyad, 6 Roshan, 7 Siraj (wk), 8 Saflin, 9 Fayaz, 10 Rasmi and 11 Hillal.

Quotes

"I have doubts about the ability of some of the batsmen to play on these tracks.Mohammed Arafath seems to be forever expecting the short ball; he was so back inside the crease and got out to a full delivery.Dasthakir the DZCC skipper to blog last night.

Ziyad fit for Aramex Tour - DZCB

Mohammed Farman, the chairman of DZCC's selection committee, has said Mohammed Ziyad will definitely play in the Aramex Tour 2010 in Jumaira starting friday. He also said he was willing to take the blame for the mess involving the selection of DZCC's middle-order and fast bowling camp but it was the result of a "freakish" incident.

"Ziyad is going to be back in the aramex tour this year," farman told to our official site yesterday. "He has said he is 100% fit. [His] capability will bolster the DZCC bowling." Ziyad was one of the three first-choice Fast bowler who missed the first game of Ajman blacks , which DZCC lost by six runs.

Farman and his panel are under fire for not picking a reserve bowler in the original squad for the first game, defeat in which has left DZCC needing a win at the Eid Gardens to retain their No. 1 ranking. Rimaz, who was part of a Board Control's XI team that played a warm-up match against RSS in al-quses, was included in the domestic squad a day before the first game but he too injured himself minutes before the start, forcing DZCC to hand reserve bowler mohammed Faris a debut as a specialist bowler.

The original pool for the first match had included four fast bowlers, though DZCC rarely pick more than two quicks in home matches. "Generally we have an opener, a middle order batsman, a slower and a seamer in the reserves," Farman said. "But in this Series alone we thought we would encourage two more fast bowlers. But to our bad luck, you had one batsman walking out."


DZCB

Ziyad keen to do more with the ball

DZCC fast bowler Ziyad has expressed his keenness to make a bigger contribution with the ball in the First Match against Sharja CC in Jumaira. Ziyad bowled just two overs in Matale Cricket Series due to his knee injury, leaving Mohammed Hillal, Razeen Mohamed, Mohamed Rikaz and Shafi with an additional responsibility to fill in for the fifth bowler.

Dasthakir had admitted the extent of the workload the four bowlers had to bear, in having to bowl out JBS SC twice, was huge. DZCC can expect the physical demands of winning the next Series to be greater, especially as their bowlers are recovering from injuries. Fawzan is missing the big toe-nail on his left foot, Rikaz is nursing an injured shoulder and Nazeer is awaiting scans on his dislocated finger."It definitely hurts me not being able to do that (bowl) because you saw how hard the bowlers toiled," Ziyad told DZCC Press Relese. "It's tendonitis. I've just been battling with that a bit. I had it in Jumaira but hopefully I can take a load off the bowlers. It's about (bowling) loads and how the inflammation is at the time. It has good days and bad days."

Ziyad has managed just two wickets at an average of 38 in last four 20 overs games but has bowled more often, and has had more success, in the 10 overs short format, taking 17 wickets at 23 While establishing himself as a solid middle-order batsman in limited-overs cricket, Ziyad is still fighting for a long-term slot in 20 overs game. "It's runs and wickets at the end of the day," he said. "For me, every 20 overs innings I play I'm looking to establish my position and stamp my authority on the game. Hopefully it will be in this Comming tour."